Snaked the Charmer
by DA830
Summary: Nina's foray into the world of making friends does not go well. Modern!AU. Originally written as characterization practice. Plotless. T for Nina's word choice.


i remembered i had this lying around from my age of procrastination and my brother told me to share it with the world

so here you go

more self-deprecating author notes at the **end**

* * *

It was a lovely, peaceful Sunday morning in the middle of May. The long-awaited sun was high in the sky, forcing its way through the living room window and striking the floor, illuminating the pale-yellow painted walls in blazing stains. It was a perfect day to be outside - perhaps, joining her little brother in his activities - or even laying under a tree, doing her homework.

Neither of the two were on her mind at the moment in light of...an _interesting_ event, called fanfiction.

She deftly navigated the website, tapping away at the laptop, slipping in and out of her various fandoms, furiously scrolling for a piece of treasure she could spend _hours_ reading, fulfilling her innermost desires.

She paused her frantic search (and her music) to see a message appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.

 _If you love it so much, then just use the filters! At least, that's what I do when I need to find it quick…_

She clicked on it. It was from Caeldori, a thoughtful girl from her class and her best friend. They shared a secretive love for...unusual topics, to say the least, and they were self-proclaimed "shipping partners", even going as far as to ship the various pairings in their class.

 _thanks, i'll do that,_ she typed, and went back to the tab. She dragged her fingers across the touchpad, impatiently waiting for the page to finish loading. Once the page was at the top, she set filters to "sort by favourites" and "word count - most to least". There wasn't an option for the stuff she was looking for, but at least she'd only get the best material.

"Hey, Nina! What'cha doing on the computer?"

She glanced up, past the screen, to see her feisty brother, Ken, holding a pencil up with a curious expression.

Lightning-quick, she passed over alt-tab and flashed him a casual smile. "Homework, little bro!"

She was the older of the three siblings. With twins as younger siblings (by only two years), it was hard to keep her privacy intact...but she managed. Luckily, today, she was stuck with just Ken in the vicinity and not Kana, she was with their father, Niles, at some sort of "take-your-kid-to-work-day", even though it _was_ the weekend.

"Ooh! Can I see?"

He made to move forward, but she quickly slammed the laptop shut and stood up. "Sorry, I was just finished! Wanna go do something?"

Oh, the things she does to preserve her pride.

He cocked his head to one side like a preening cat and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, sis? You usually never do anything with me, you're always on your computer. Are you sick?" He raised his hand and rested it on her forehead, which she reluctantly consented to. Anything to get him off her track…

"You feel fine," he reported, removing his palm and leaving the top of her head a bit cold.

"I know," she replied. "I'm not sick. I just feel like...we should spend some more time together! You know, sibling bonding time!"

Wow, she was really laying it on thick.

Ken's eyes widened and he dropped the pencil. "I'm telling mom you're sick, okay!" He backed out of the room, to her relief, and ran off.

She breathed out a sigh. At least he did care about her. Now, to get back to her little adventure…

She plopped back down and carefully pried the laptop open, resting it on her lap and logging in. The browser faded into view, displaying the _homework_ she should've been doing for the next day.

 _Have your short story draft ready for Monday so we can peer-edit…_

Why _write_ stories when you can _read_ them? She was a master of procrastination, and this was no different.

Another message popped up, right on cue this time -

 _yo u done the hw yet?_

This one was from a fellow classmate whom she didn't know all too well, Asugi. He had quickly made a reputation as the "class joker", with his _wittily shitty_ puns and sugary personality. Sugary as in make-your-teeth-rot sugary, definitely not the sweet kind.

He seemed like the type of person to pretend to be an eight-year-old playing Minecraft and then proceed to win every single Survival Game he would take part in. And for that, she respected him.

 _uh...not yet_ was her lightning-fast reply. Which reminded her, she probably should be doing it...

His icon, a shuriken of some sort of dynasty, popped up immediately, signifying he had read the message.

 _can u help me with mine idk wat 2 do_

She let out a small groan. Well, fanfiction would always be there, but a chance to befriend Asugi would not.

 _yeah sure what do you need_

An ellipsis appeared next to his icon, telling her he was typing a reply.

 _uhhh i cant do it online wanna meet up at the library? like right now?_

Go outside? She flopped back, hitting her head on the cushion. If she was going to help him, she might as well get something in return.

 _bring one of your boy i mean male friends and i'll be there in 5_

 _ayyy thx_

She allowed herself a smile. She didn't know Asugi's level of shippableness, but she was about to find out.

"Mom!" she called, closing the laptop and stuffing it into her backpack. "I'm gonna go to the library to meet a friend - for homework!" she hastily added.

She shouldered the bag and walked into the kitchen, where her white-haired mother was sitting at the counter, reading a thick book on...was that a _dragon_?

"Mom, I'm gonna meet up with some friends to do some homework at the library - that okay?"

"Alright, just be safe and back in time for lunch." She lay down her book and got up from the stool. "I'll see you out."

"Thanks." Nina smiled gratefully.

Before long, she was out the door and on the sidewalk, with her junior high school in view at the end of the street.

It really _was_ a beautiful day. She was so unused to the strong sunlight that she had to squint for fear of being blinded. It was for this reason that she wasn't able to spot -

"Nina!"

"Ah!"

A pair of strong hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and she yelped - there was only one person brave enough to do this, and that was -

"Caeldori!"

And there she was, hands on hips, smile on her lips, pale scarlet hair shining glossy in the sun.

"What're you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same of you, Nina," Caeldori pouted. "I never see you outside, even when I ask you to get bubble tea with me! Where're ya going now?"

"Oh, uh…" Nina offered an apologetic smile. "To the library. I promised Asugi I'd help him with his homework."

"Oh, so you say yes to a boy but no to me?" She smirked knowingly. "Don't worry. I'll be your wingman - whatever it takes."

"Psh - it's nothing like that." Nina waved a hand dismissively. "I just wanna...get to know our classmates a bit better.."

"I don't know, Nina - it seems pretty suspicious to me…"

The girl kept her devilish smirk all the way to the end of the street, Nina only sighing in mock defeat. When she turned right, the direction to the town library, she said, "Well, I'll see ya later, Caeldori."

The perfectionist gave her an inquiring look. "Whatcha talking about? I'm coming too!"

"...I see. Let's get going, then. I told him I'd be there in five minutes."

She set off on the main street. Caeldori hurried to catch up.

"So who's this boy you're talking about?"

Nina threw the other girl a sideways glance, but answered truthfully. "Asugi. He said he can't do his homework online, so he wanted to meet up."

Caeldori poked her side, causing her to lightly slam into the store window on the right. Thank goodness the shop was closed.

"I think he just wanted an excuse to _go out_ with ya," she prodded. "I mean, go out as in physically go out. Not...emotionally."

Nina coughed, covering up her chuckle. "Let's just go, hm?"

Caeldori giggled along with her. "You know I'm right, though!"

Nina hit the button for the light to change, but there was no need. Scarcely a car passed by, due to it being an "early" Sunday morning. Not many of the various stores were open, she could see the navy blue-haired coffee shop owner throw open her windows from across the street, but that was about it. Sunday wasn't a business day.

The same held true for the library - there were a few patrons on its open first floor, but the noise level was minimal. She could see only a single member of staff at the help/front desk, and most of the working tables were empty.

In fact, all of them were empty...wasn't Asugi supposed to meet them there?

"Hey, where are they?" Caeldori whispered. Nina just shrugged. He wouldn't dare ditch now, would he?

"C'mon, let's check the second floor." Caeldori grabbed her hand and firmly pulled her towards the stairs before she realized what had happened.

She jerked her hand away once they were climbing the flight. "You know I don't like holding hands."

"Sorry," Caeldori said sheepishly, "but it was a good way to get your attention, right?"

"Hmph."

While the first floor was fictitious literature, the second was entirely for non-fiction. There were a few desks there as well, and even a balcony-type structure for the public to use when it was sunny.

"He's not here, either…" she murmured.

"He's probably just late," Caeldori declared. "Let's go outside, see if we can see him come in."

There was no one on the balcony, either. Just as she preferred it. It was peaceful, with the southern winds bringing with them the promise of a warm day (or, continental tropical air masses, but that was Geography, and she still had PTSD from that).

They let down at a table near the exterior railing, with a clear view of the street below, it would be impossible to miss anyone coming in.

"Wait, so are _you_ done the homework?"

"Uh...no, actually, I brought my laptop so I could work on it here…"

"Ooh, you did? Can we read some -"

"Hey, girls."

 _Hey, girls!?_

A new, deeper voice that could only belong to one person.

"Asugi!"

"Oh, it's you."

"Hey." He grinned and put his own bag down. Nina noticed he had some sort of food in his mouth - judging by the stick that came out, it was a lollipop.

"How did you even get up here? We were watching the street the entire time - right, Caeldori?"

She nodded vigorously.

The candy lover sat down, sliding into the bench right next to Nina. "I climbed. Shiro's still down there, you know."

"What!?"

"Shiroooo!"

Caeldori leaned off the railing, calling his name and waving. Nina glanced over. Shiro was _indeed_ down there, a flat expression on his face.

"Shiro, get up here!" Asugi called. "There's an easy way up, just put your foot on that big rock and jump to the pipes, then -"

"You know what, I'll just go the safe way…" Shiro put his hands up in defeat and sighed, disappearing into the entrance.

"So what did you need help with?" she asked, pulling out her own computer, getting straight to business.

"Math."

She froze at the answer. "You're done your story?"

"Yeah, I finished it on Friday," he answered, textbook in hand. "I ended up putting off the math yesterday, and I need some help on the formulas."

"Oh, I'm done both pages," Caeldori interjected. "I can help you if you want."

He looked up from the heavy tome. "You done your story too?"

The scarlet-haired beauty flashed a perfect smile, leaning across the table to see Asugi's work. "Finished it the day it was assigned. Now, about the inequalities, you just have to graph them. See, you messed up the _x_ and _y_ here, like this…"

"I'm here!"

All three students looked up from their work to see Shiro, panting and out of breath, at the entrance to the balcony.

"Took ya long enough!"

"Whatever," he muttered, walking towards their table. "What're you guys working on?"

"Math," was Asugi's reply, while Nina said nothing.

"Damn, you guys have it lucky. I haven't even started my story yet…" he complained, tossing his bag on the floor and plopping down into the seat next to Caeldori, who promptly moved even further down the bench.

"Anyways, as I was _saying_ -"

"Wait!" Shiro interrupted her yet _again_ \- "can I switch spots with Asugi? It'll be easier for you two to work."

Caeldori huffed, clearly she did _not_ like to be so rudely interrupted, but complied anyways. Asugi simply shrugged and slid his things over.

"Hey, Nina," Shiro greeted. "Are you done yet? Your story?"

"Uh…" She opened her laptop. "Nope. I've started, though, so it should be pretty easy."

"Aww…" he moaned. "I'm so screwed...I have absolutely nothing."

"You want some help, then?" she offered immediately. Anything to keep procrastinating.

His features brightened. "Could ya?"

"Sure. You need ideas? What have you been doing all this time, anyways?"

"Trying to come up with ideas!" he exclaimed. "I have nothing good!"

"Hm…" she tapped a finger to her chin. "Remember what ol' Yukimura said? Write about what you know...so if you _don't_ know...then…"

A small light went off in her head, a _eureka_ moment. "Write about someone who doesn't know what to write about! I'm sure you have tons of experience with that! Er, no offense," she quickly tacked on.

"Wow!" He beamed at her. "That's such a good idea...how do you come up with this stuff, Nina?"

"Oh...it's really no big deal," she insisted, feeling a prick of heat on the back of her neck.

"Well…since you helped me out, anything you ever need help with, just ask me! I want to return the favour," he said seriously.

"Gotcha," she replied, but she equally as seriously doubted that the need would ever arise.

 _I should probably work on my own…_ she thought glumly. She turned back to her laptop…

...only to find it in Caeldori and Asugi's clutches, on the other side of the table. Asugi's mouth was half-open and the lollipop had fallen out, eyes blurring back and forth on the screen. Caeldori's expression, on the other hand, was one of wild fantasies and glee.

She should know, it happened to her as well.

"What the hell, guys." She leapt up and scrambled to the other side of the table, hoping she would not find what she feared.

"Oh my gods, don't tell me you're reading - _holy fuckin' shit, get off my computer -_ " she flushed, ripping the device out of Caeldori's hands and locking it.

"Nina! It was really good! At least link it to me when you're done?" Caeldori begged.

"Jeez, you're _into_ that kinda stuff…?" Asugi had a slight blush on his cheeks and was refusing to meet her accusing glare. "Not that it's bad, you write really well, actually, but…" he trailed off into uncomfortable silence.

"What's going on? Ah, how come I'm never part of any of the action?" Shiro complained. "What were ya reading?"

"No, yes, nothing! Oh, my gods." She pressed her face into the wooden tabletop, grinding her forehead against the planks. "Why did I even come out today?" she groaned. "Asugi, why the fuck is your hair orange?"

"Wait, what?" As she expected, the question caught him totally off guard. If she could subtly take the focus off her, maybe the situation would tone down a bit.

"She likes to insult people when she's embarrassed," Caeldori informed him. "I don't think you have to answer, though."

"Like hell that'd do!" She swung her head up to lock eyes with the offender. "You should tell me why your hair's orange," she growled in what she hoped was a menacing voice.

"Uh…"

Okay, maybe a _bit_ less on the subtlety…

"Oh, Nina…" Caeldori's expression softened and she came over to Nina's side, resting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Your writing really was good. I didn't mean anything bad by reading it. Will you forgive me?"

She blushed from the contact. "Of - of course, Caeldori. _You, on the other hand_ -" She directed her anger towards Asugi, lunging across the table, held back by only Caeldori's firm grip. " _Repent for your sins -"_ she snarled.

"Nina!"

Asugi instinctively threw up his hands to protect himself, leaning back and bracing for impact. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You write really well! Don't kill me!"

"...hmph." She relaxed her tensed muscles, prompting Caeldori to do the same, loosening her tight hold.

"If you put it that way...I guess I can let you live for a little while longer," she muttered, sitting back down, changing her mind, and standing back up.

"I'm gonna go look for...a book to read. My computer's locked, so there's no way anyone's getting in," she elaborated, to the clear disappointment of her friends.

"I'll come with you." Asugi reached up to straighten the headband he was wearing, and dusted off his shirt. "We'll be back in a jiffy."

Nina tried to ignore Caeldori's not so hidden wink, or flurry of winks, and Shiro smirking like he'd just shot a half court hook shot.

" _Shut up!"_ she snapped.

"What?"

"Wasn't talking to you," she said crossly to Asugi. Without another look backwards, she hauled open the door and slipped inside, Asugi following close in her footsteps.

The moment the door clicked shut, she whirled around and slammed Asugi against it. His guard had been down, so he was totally defenseless against her attack.

"Don't you dare breathe a word of what you read to anyone else," she hissed. "One word out of you, and I'll - I'll -"

"You'll do what, huh, butterfly?" His smirk irritated her to no end - and she had the upper hand, but wait, _what the hell_ did he say?

"I'll - sorry, _what_?"

"I take it back, you're more of a snake." His smirk grew bigger, and he deftly twisted out of her grasp. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He winked. It did _not_ help his case.

"You little -" she raged, but was abruptly cut off. In the blink of an eye, he was right in her face, pushing a finger against her lips.

"It's a library, you might wanna be careful about your volume!" he said in a sing-song voice.

She whipped around. "And to think I was going to help you with your homework," she retorted, disgruntled.

She started to make her way towards the familiar shelves, no longer caring about Asugi, that son of a -

"Oh, hey! Dwyer! I didn't know you came outside!"

The switch in his voice was so noticeable, she cringed. She glanced back to see him throw an arm around another boy's shoulders, Dwyer, if she remembered correctly.

At once, her mood lightened. The timing was so perfect - she could see them through the shelf, and they couldn't see her…

It was high time for her favourite pastime, people watching.

Oh, she had no idea Asugi could be so touchy...and who could miss that faint blush on Dwyer's cheeks...they seemed to be very close... _very close indeed…_

In short, lots and lots of blackmail material.

Many would agree that writing...fanfiction about _real people_ was creepy, if not bordering on stalkerish or just plain disgusting. Herself included. Although sometimes, she just couldn't resist…

"Well, see ya later, Naps," she heard Asugi call.

He even had _a pet name_! How cute!

She hurriedly turned her attention to the bookshelf, pretending to scan it up and down, not even comprehending the titles.

"Well, that was Dwyer...I was a bit surprised to see him outside, he, like, _never_ leaves his house…"

At the moment, Nina was too giddy on happiness that she forgot about her earlier spat with him.

"Nina? Are you okay? Why are you looking at... _Nine Months of Hell_?" he questioned.

She jumped back in fright, having only just realized what she was looking at. "Uh, nothing! Nothing!"

He raised a eyebrow curiously. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No! Not at all! Why would you ask?" She gave a false laugh that she _hoped_ was convincing.

He didn't pursue the topic, but he still looked skeptical. "We should probably get back to the others, they're probably wondering what we're doing."

"Yeah, sure."

To her relief, her laptop was in the exact same position she'd left it in. Shiro was poring over his story, hard at work, while Caeldori was standing by the railing, head propped up on hands on elbows, hair flowing in the wind.

"Yo! We're back!"

"Find anything interesting?" Shiro asked offhandedly.

"Yeah, I found Nina looking up some books on pregnancy…"

"Wait, what!?" she sputtered. "I - I was just -"

"Nina!" Caeldori turned around, a frown on her face. "Don't be irresponsible!"

"I - I wasn't - !" She motioned to the red-haired girl, eyes flickering to Asugi for a split-second, then trying to convey the urgency of the situation through the barely noticeable movements of her head.

It seemed as if the best friends understood one another. "Ah, it's been really nice doing homework with you guys, but Nina's got to go home for lunch, and...I'm gonna eat her. _I mean -_ " she shook her head - "eat lunch with her."

"I see how it is. Covering up for your friend, quite a noble thing to do. Well, I'm gonna find out sooner or later - you can count on it!" Shiro announced.

"You need to do your story," Nina reminded him, going along with Caeldori's cover. "See ya guys tomorrow."

"Bye, Nina," were Asugi's monotone parting words.

"Seeya."

She thought nothing of it. They exited the library's looking silence, not thinking to look up to see if the boys were still on the balcony.

"So what _were_ you doing?" Caeldori questioned. "Looking at - ?

"I was stalking - watching - Asugi," she amended her earlier statement. "He was with Dwyer - and being so touchy! I think I've found my new real life OTP…" she trailed off into blissful silence.

Caeldori sighed. "I'll never understand how you can say stuff like that so easily…"

"Doesn't matter. Now, I can _successfully_ blackmail him in case he ever spills."

"...come to think about it, we originally came out for _you_ to help Asugi with his homework, but _I_ ended up helping _Shiro_ with his homework," the red-haired girl mused. "You didn't really do anything other than fight with Asugi, you sure you'll be fine with your story?"

"Did I say that?" Nina grinned. "You can help me after lunch. You're coming over, right?"

"Oh!" Caeldori looked taken aback for a second, but pleased. "Can I? I only said it as a coverup for your little blunder before."

"Of course! Plus, I'm pretty sure Ken has a massive crush on you...or something." It was her turn to make the redhead blush, protesting.

"I'm sure - I'm sure that he's just like that. There's no reason for him to like me, none at all!"

"Oh, I've lived with him for thirteen years now, I can read him like - like a fluffy KageHina fic," she reassured, referring to a pairing from an anime that was one of her favourites.

"You shouldn't say things like that! Now I won't be able to face him…" Caeldori pressed a hand to her forehead, brushing the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"He'd be happy just being in the same house as you," she teased. "No need for interaction."

"Nina!"

"Caeldori!"

Before long, the two arrived back at Nina's house and were greeted by a _very flustered_ Ken and her welcoming mother.

"You're staying for lunch, I hope?"

"Um, only - only if you're fine with it! Thank you!"

They settled down to tuna salad wraps they had made on the spot for lunch. After a slightly awkward table space of Ken babbling without any filter, it seemed, and her mother wearing a slightly knowing look on her face, the two friends holed up in Nina's room, to... _work_.

"I don't know how you can _stand_ it!" Caeldori exclaimed, lazing back on Nina's messy bed.

"Eh. You learn to live with two annoying younger siblings after a while." She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but she really couldn't visualize living without the two now, she realized. They had become a part of her life, as much as she told herself otherwise.

"Ken sure seemed to enjoy your company," Nina quipped, turning back from her desk and grinning.

Caeldori gave a dramatic sigh, pushing her face into one of Nina's pillows. "I suppose I have no choice...but to revenge-ship you in retaliation!" With those last words, she had bolted upright and pushed an accusing finger in front of Nina's line of vision.

"Revenge-ship?" She rested her head on the back of her office-like chair. "What does that even mean?"

"Now, who would be the perfect one for you…?" Caeldori continued, as if she hadn't heard her question at all. "Oh! I know!"

Nina grimaced at the sight of her friend's sinister smile. Knowing Caeldori and her history of pairs, it was bound to be something cringeworthy -

"Asugi!"

" _That_ dipshit?" Nina squawked. She wasn't blushing in the slightest - no, not at all - but... _him_? How could anyone _ever_ think they could even be in the same room together after today -

"Language, grasshopper," Caeldori scolded with a smug grin. "Ken or your mother could hear through the walls."

" _Grasshopper!?_ And wait, so you do care about him -"

"You two are so perfect together!" In the blink of an eye, Caeldori had gone from someone with the cockiness of gaining the upper hand to a squealing fangirl, acting as if her favourite yaoi pairing had just had their first kiss. (Sadly, Natsuya and Nao have never kissed, and they probably never will in the future.)

"We - we are _not_! I hate the guy! He's so - so insufferably - _stupid!_ " she exclaimed, grabbing the first insult she came across in her mind.

"Oh, Nina, Nina, Nina…" her friend clucked. "He can't be stupid, he's the one who finished his story...which may I remind you, is due _tomorrow and you still haven't done it_?"

"You are... _right_ , and that is what I was _working_ on, until you said you shipped me with Asugi, and that's where we are right now," Nina retorted, stressing the words for dramatic purpose.

"What's in the past has passed, now _work_!"

"Alright!"

Nina whipped back around, cracking her knuckles. She would spend thirty minutes, tops, on this, and then they would be free to read as much as they wanted -

 _He gazed into the blonde's comforting majestic eyes._

" _Don't worry, Rei-chan," the boy murmured. "It's my first time too."_

No sooner had her fingers left the keys, she skimmed the last two lines she wrote and proceeded to choke on thin air.

"What's wrong?" A red blur appeared at her shoulder almost instantly. Horrified, she pounded _ctrl-z_ until the offending lines were gone. "Nothing! I'm fine! The doc's fine!"

"Hm...hold on." In a fluid movement, Caeldori swept her arm across Nina's chest, pushing her back from the computer and taking over the keyboard.

"Hey, wait, what -"

"Alright, so where's that _redo_ button…"

"No! Unhand me, you fiend!" Nina struggled against her steely hold, but it was no use. Caeldori was _far_ stronger than anyone would think first seeing her - she probably worked out or something.

"Aha!" Caeldori proclaimed. "Found it!"

The pointer seemed to move in slow motion, across the white document, to the upper left corner, where that blasted forwards-pointing arrow resided. Worst of all, she could do nothing to stop it, except watch in horrified anticipation at what was about to be unveiled.

 _Boop, boop._

Two simple clicks revealed the two lines Nina had absentmindedly written.

She glanced up at Caeldori, whose eyes were flicking across the screen. Her grip relaxed, but there was no point trying to break free anymore. She just had to hold her breath and take the punishment like a woman -

"Continue."

"What?" Nina grabbed ahold of the arm in front of her and gently forced it aside.

"Continue it."

"Are you -"

"Serious?" Caeldori confirmed. "Yep."

"Gods, I don't even know how it happened," she grumbled. "I was thinking about what Mr. Yukimura was saying about profanity, and then...just like, like that, I was writing fanfiction…"

"There, there…" Caeldori patted her back comfortingly. "What matters is that Nagisa was about to power bottom _the hell_ outta Rei-chan. You should really continue it! And start it. It needs backstory, too."

"It's literally two lines! I _literally_ have nothing to go on!" she protested.

"Then _I'll_ start it!" Caeldori had that scary glint in her eye again, something that meant _she was boutta do it_. "Leave it to me to make the useless exposition, then you can fill in all the juicy details!"

"Oh…" A collaborative fic? Nina had always had mixed feelings about them...for her, at least, it always depended on the other person's writing ability and style...but, well, it _was_ Caeldori. Maybe she'd give it a try. Just this once.

"Okay, fine. I'll give you until…" she glanced at her watch, hurrying to pick a suitable time. "Five. Five PM. Then I'll take over and get it done."

She heard a sharp intake of breath and felt doubts creep into her mind. Maybe five was a little harsh, giving her just under four hours to write it...not many people were able to write at the intensity Nina expected them to.

"Challenge accepted!" Caeldori mock saluted. "I'll be done before you know it!"

Nina allowed herself a small smile. _Caeldori...she's really something, isn't she?_

The four hours passed under her nose in silence, Caeldori breaking the surface tension with occasional questions.

"Wait, does Rei live in an apartment?"

"Yeah, but you can AU-ify it if you want. Just make sure I know the details."

"So then I'm gonna make him live in a house instead."

"College AU?"

"Hmm...I always thought Rei'd go to a college in Tokyo or something, 'cause he's so smart and all. Summer, maybe?"

"Yeah, then you can make it multichapter and add in everyone else after. Gotcha."

"Will it be their first time?"

"Hm?" Nina typed her last word and raised her hands from the keyboard with a flourish. "Whatever you want. You're the one setting it up, after all."

"Okay, I'm done."

"Done?" She looked at the time. _4:53_.

"You did well," she praised. Caeldori smirked. "Of course I did, I couldn't just let you down."

"Alright then, pass me your papers. I'll read it now."

She almost dropped the pages that were dumped into her arms - _there had to be at least fifty_!

"Holy crap, Caeldori! You wrote this all in pencil?"

"Haha, yeah," the girl chuckled modestly. "I won't be able to use my right hand tomorrow."

"Jeez, okay…" she eyed the stack apprehensively. "How long is it gonna take for me to read all of this?"

Caeldori shrugged, massaging the area between her thumb and forefinger. "I'm sure it won't take over an hour."

"Fifty-nine minutes, then?" Nina questioned.

"Eh."

She sighed. _This had better be good._

 _Scenery flashed across his vision. The gentle force eased him backwards, constantly pressing, but he stood his ground. His red glasses-wearing reflection overlay the abundance of green and pale-yellow land outside the train..._

 _...and they broke apart, gasping for breath. A heavy blush was present on the blonde's cheeks. "Rei-chan…" he panted._

"...well, shit…" she thought aloud.

"How is it!?"

"It's...really good!" The surprise in her own voice startled her.

"Thanks!" Caeldori beamed. "Does this mean you'll continue the rest?"

"Yeah. Yeah! I will!" Oh boy, the things she could - and would - do with this...it was making her salivate all over again…

Unfortunately, before things could get _too_ racy, a distraction appeared. A beam of evening sunlight, all smiles and rainbows and butterflies and _horned dragons -_

Kana was back.

"Caeldoriiiiii!" A sharp squeal, and suddenly Kana had latched herself onto the poor girl's back like a bloodsucking leech - except without the vampirism and stickiness.

"Kana, I don't think Caeldori appreciates that."

Neither Nina or (Anankos forbid) Caeldori had uttered a word. The voice was deep and lilting and could only belong to one person.

"M-Mr. Nina's f-father!" Caeldori hurried to bow, falling back into her old traditions. 'Hello!"

"...Dad," Nina muttered, pointedly turning away. The sight of the document flashed into view, and she decidedly put the computer into standby. Her screensaver blinked into existence - a myriad of coloured waves streaking about the dark screen. She stared at it for a second, entranced by its chaotic beauty, then tore her vision away and back to her father.

"No need to bow, and just call me Niles," her father waved a hand. "I see you around all the time, anyways."

Nina made a disgusted face.

"Hey!" A yell came from down the hall and Ken burst into Nina's room, overcrowding it. Not that it wasn't overcrowded already.

"Dad! You're home! I need to show you my science project! C'mon!" The energetic boy grabbed their father's hand and pulled him out of the room.

"Great to see ya both!" he called. "Nina, dinner's in half an hour!"

"Great, thanks," she responded dryly. "Sorry about that," she added after the two were out of earshot to Caeldori.

"Oh, no, it's fine," the red-haired girl assured. "I find it quite...endearing. I don't have any siblings, see, so I'm usually alone most of the time."

"Oh," was her surprised reply.

"You can come over a lot, then!" Kana was still there (much to Nina's annoyance). The small girl took Caeldori's hand. "I'll be your little sister!"

"Aw, Kana, that's so sweet!" Caeldori smiled, a little bit sadly. "But you already have Nina. I'm sure she appreciates you just as much."

"Really? She doesn't seem to show it…" Kana frowned.

The shift in attention was noticeable. Nina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling two pairs of eyes on her.

"I guess…" she admitted, but didn't elaborate.

"Hmph. Well, I still want you to come over lots!" Kana insisted, shaking Caeldori's poor hand for emphasis.

"If you really want me to, I'll visit as often as Nina and your parents let me," she finally relented.

Maybe it was observing the scene unfold was what had awakened unrest within her. Seeing how Kana and Caeldori interacted - they might as well be sisters...at least, more than how Nina was.

She recalled those days, times of simplicity. She used to be so carefree...what had happened?

Aging had happened. Her and Kana - and even Ken - used to be so close. Now, an older Nina spent her days in seclusion, preferring not to talk to any of her siblings and seeking sanctuary online instead.

She missed them. She wasn't going to say it, but she missed them.

Just where had the times gone?

She ran over the possible situations in her mind. How would she be able to bring back that sort of connection - if she even could?

A sudden, uncalled for wave of recollection swept over her. All at once, she felt young, happy, innocent...nostalgic. It lasted for a split second, but in that split second, she had been able to see everything in a different light. Feel the atmosphere of her home around her, thick enough to choke on.

It wasn't unlike an out-of-body experience - nor was it anything unusual. She'd read somewhere (maybe in one of her fanfictions, was it?) that sometimes, remembering tiny details of one's past could trigger that person to suddenly feel as if they were in that moment. It was akin to getting miraculously inspired by amazing fanart...a feeling she knew all too well. Unfortunately, she was never able to act well on that inspiration and always left her current fanfictions unfinished.

Nina had always thought she would be the last person in the world to describe themselves as "sentimental", but...gods, she wanted those _times_ back. She absentmindedly bit her cheek, letting her gaze rest on Kana.

And as quickly as those feelings had appeared, they vanished.

 _Good riddance, too,_ she thought. A sappy Nina was not a happy Nina.

However, there was still the matter of her being a recluse hanging over her head. She sighed. Time to look forward to another sleepless night…

"Girls?"

"Mommy! Whatcha' doin' up here?"

"Mrs. Corrin." Caeldori tilted her head respectfully.

"Hey, Mom," Nina greeted lazily.

"I know it's very short notice, but one of your father's business partners - Siy-zo, I think his name was - is coming over for dinner," her mother gushed, addressing it mostly to Nina. "Kana, Nina, you need to clean up and help set the table. Caeldori, you can stay, but just make sure to tell your parents you'll be here."

"Wow, Dad."

"Daddy's not even here! What's he doing, making last-minute dinner meetings?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Corrin, I'll make sure to phone them as soon as possible."

She nodded and left the three in silence.

"So -"

"OH and apparently he's bringing his son along, too! I hear he's about your age, Nina!" Her mother's head appeared in the door for another second before leaving again. "Wash up, now!"

"Ooh! More people!" Kana's excited squeal left them as she heeded her mother's instructions and departed Nina's room. "You guys should come soon, too!" she called over her retreating shoulder.

"So, another boy…how do you think this will go?"

"I guess we have no choice but to find out," Nina stated grimly. "Let's just hope he's not a huge jerk or something like that."

Caeldori hummed in agreement, and the two left their sacred sanctuary into the dangerous wilds of the first floor.

"Nina, after you wash your hands, I'm putting you on door duty," her father directed in passing. He was carrying two folding chairs on one arm and one more on the other. "Just make sure you make a good first impression."

"Right, that's gonna be so easy."

"Oh, lighten up!" Caeldori offered a playful smile. "Just be yourself - I'm sure he'll love you!"

"Cay-el! Do you need the phone?" Kana came rushing down the hall clutching their home phone.

Nina turned her back on the scene.

 _Cay-el_? Really? She'd had enough cringing for one day already.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, she situated herself on the mat in front of the door, to be ready when this mysterious "Seiy-so" arrived. She was already rehearsing what to say in her mind - no one in their right mind would find Nina, just herself, likable.

Not two _seconds_ after she sat down, the doorbell rang.

"Nina! Could you get that?" Her father's voice rang throughout the house.

"On it!" she yelled back.

 _Okay. I'm Nina, you're here to see Niles? Come on in, we have everything ready for you._

She grasped the handle and turned it clockwise 180 degrees.

The heavy door swung open.

"Hello! I'm Nina, you're here to see - _why the fuck are you outside my house?_ "

Those precious two seconds of rehearsal, out the window and into a windstorm.

The boy opposite her had the exact same expression on his face, she could gather.

"Hello, snake," he managed to say through his confusion. "Fancy meeting you here."

* * *

i am literally nina

i have like 16 english assignments. why did i try to practice my characterization. a 600 word thing mutated into this. i need help

on an off note i kinda enjoy this pairing and nina is to fun to write

probably just gonna be a oneshot that i never touch again. that is until i decide to procrastinate more


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